Pope Leo to take charge of Catholic Church
Pope Leo XIV will formally take up his role as leader of the global Catholic Church on Sunday, with a Mass in St Peter's Square that will draw tens of thousands of well-wishers, including dozens of world leaders and European royalty.
Crowds are expected to cram the Square in the Vatican and surrounding streets in Rome for the formal celebration, which starts at 10am (local time) and includes the first ride in the white popemobile by Leo, the first pope from the United States.
Born in Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years as a missionary in Peru and also has Peruvian citizenship, meaning he is also the first pope from that South American nation.
Robert Prevost, a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal two years ago, was elected pope on May 8 after a short conclave of cardinals that lasted barely 24 hours.
He replaces Pope Francis, from Argentina, who died on April 21 after leading the Church for 12 often turbulent years during which he battled with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.
US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who clashed with Francis over the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies, will lead a US delegation alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will also attend and would be happy to meet other leaders, a top aide has said, as he did at Francis' funeral when he had face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump in St Peter's Basilica.
Zelenskiy last met Vance in February in the White House, when the two men clashed fiercely in front of the world's media.
Also expected at the Vatican ceremony are the presidents of Peru, Israel and Nigeria, the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Many European royals will also be in the VIP seats near the main altar, including Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Focus on peace
In various sermons and comments since his election as pope, Leo has praised Francis repeatedly but has not offered many hints about whether he will continue with the late pontiff's vision of opening the Church up to the modern world.
His homily on Sunday is likely to indicate some of the priorities for his papacy, having already made clear over the past 10 days that he will push for peace whenever possible.
His first words in an appearance to crowds in St Peter's Square on the night of his election were "Peace be with you all," echoing words Catholics use in their celebrations.
In a May 14 address to officials of the eastern Catholic Churches, many of whom are based in global hot spots such as Ukraine and the Middle East, the new pope pledged he would make "every effort" for peace.
He also offered the Vatican as a mediator in global conflicts, saying war was "never inevitable".
Sunday's Mass will feature prayers in several languages, in a nod to the global reach of the 1.4-billion member Church, including Latin, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, French, Arabic, Polish, and Chinese.
As part of the ceremony, Leo will also formally receive two items as he takes up the papacy: a liturgical vestment known as a pallium, a strip of lambswool which represents his role as a shepherd, and a special band known as the fisherman's ring.
The ceremonial gold signet ring is specially cast for each new pope and can be used by Leo to seal documents. It features a design of St Peter holding the keys to Heaven and will be broken after his death, marking an end to his papacy. Pope expected to live at Apostolic Palace
Pope Leo is expected to live in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, unlike Francis who shunned the palace in favour of a Vatican hotel, according to several Vatican officials.
The papal apartments occupy the top floor of the palace, a 16th century building that overlooks St Peter's Square. They feature about 10 rooms, including a bedroom, private library and study, dining room, kitchen and chapel.
Renovation works at the palace are under way and Leo was expected to move in some time after the Mass on Sunday, a senior Vatican official told Reuters, asking not to be identified.
Another official said the Vatican thought it would be easier to provide security for the new pope at the palace than at the hotel facility where Francis lived.
Leo has been living in an apartment that he previously used at the building that houses the Vatican's doctrinal office near St Peter's.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Guterres Calls For An End To Ocean ‘Plunder' As UN Summit Opens In France
With the Mediterranean glittering in the background, UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres opened the Third United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday, delivering a blunt indictment of humanitys fractured relationship with the sea. ' The ocean is the ultimate shared resource,' he told delegates gathered at the port of Nice. 'But we are failing it.' Oceans, he warned, are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and buckling under the strain: overfishing, rising temperatures, plastic pollution, acidification. Coral reefs are dying. Fish stocks are collapsing. Rising seas, he said, could soon 'submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines — threatening many islands' survival.' Call for stewardship More than 50 Heads of State and Government took part in the opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — a show of political force underscoring the summit's weight. In total, over 120 countries are participating in the five-day gathering, known by the shorthand UNOC3, signaling a growing recognition that ocean health is inseparable from climate stability, food security, and global equity. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is co-hosting the summit alongside Costa Rica, followed with a forceful appeal for science, law, and multilateral resolve. 'The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale,' he declared. 'If the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling.' He insisted the fate of the seas could not be left to markets or opinion. 'The first response is therefore multilateralism,' Mr. Macron said. 'The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts.' Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles took the podium next, thanking Mr. Guterres for elevating the ocean on the global agenda, then shifting to a stark warning. 'The ocean is speaking to us — with bleached coral reefs, with storms, with wounded mangroves,' he said. 'There's no time left for rhetoric. Now is the time to act.' Condemning decades of treating the ocean as an 'infinite pantry and global waste dump,' Mr. Chaves urged a shift from exploitation to stewardship. 'Costa Rica is a small country, but this change has started,' he said. 'We are now declaring peace with the ocean.' Most notably, the Costa Rican leader called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters until science can adequately assess the risks — a position already backed by 33 countries, he noted. A treaty within reach One of the summit's core objectives is to help bring into force the landmark High Seas Treaty — known as the BBNJ accord — adopted in 2023 to safeguard life in international waters. Sixty ratifications are required for the treaty to become binding international law. Emmanuel Macron announced that this milestone is now within reach. 'In addition to the 50 or so ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, 15 countries have formally committed to joining them,' he said. 'This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this [Treaty] will be properly implemented.' Whether the legal threshold is crossed this week or shortly after, the French President added, 'it's a win.' High-stakes negotiations in the 'Blue Zone' The tone set by the opening speeches made clear that Nice will be the stage for high-stakes negotiations — on finalising a global treaty on plastic pollution, scaling up ocean finance, and navigating conflicting opinions surrounding seabed mining. Hundreds of new pledges are expected to be announced, building on more than 2,000 voluntary commitments made since the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017. The week-long talks will culminate in the adoption of a political declaration and the unveiling of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a blueprint aligned with the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a 2022 agreement to protect 30 per cent of marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030. 'The deep sea cannot become the Wild West,' António Guterres warned. The summit is being held in a purpose-built venue overlooking Port Lympia, Nice's historic marina, now transformed into the secured diplomatic 'Blue Zone.' On Sunday, a symbolic ceremony led by Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the conference, saw the French and UN flags raised above the harbor. 'This ceremony marks not only the formal transfer of this historic port into the hands of the United Nations, but also the beginning of a week of shared commitment, responsibility, and hope,' said Mr. Li. Culture, science, and collective memory Before the negotiations began in earnest, Monday's opening turned to ritual and reflection. Polynesian climate activist Ludovic Burns Tuki marked the start of the summit by blowing a pu, a traditional conch shell. 'It's a way to call everyone,' he told UN News after the ceremony. 'I blow with the support of our ancestors.' In Polynesian navigation, the conch is sounded upon arrival at a new island to signal peaceful intent. Mr. Tuki, born in Tahiti to parents from the Tuamotu and Easter Islands, sees the ocean as both boundary and bond. 'We are not only countries,' he said. 'We need to think like a collective system, because this is one ocean, one people, a future for all.' The cultural segment also included a blessing by Tahitian historian Hinano Murphy, a martial arts performance by French taekwondo master Olivier Sicard, a scientific reflection by deep-sea explorer Antje Boetius, and a poetic testimony by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, accompanied by kora musician Wassa Kouyaté. What was lost can return The goals of the Conference are ambitious but clear: to advance the ' 30 by 30 ' pledge, promote sustainable fisheries, decarbonise maritime transport, and unlock new streams of 'blue finance,' including ocean bonds and debt-for-nature swaps to support vulnerable coastal states. In addition to plenary sessions, Monday will feature two high-level action panels: one on conserving and restoring marine ecosystems — including deep-sea habitats — and another on strengthening scientific cooperation, technology exchange, and education to bridge the gap between science and policy. In his opening statement, António Guterres stressed that Sustainable Development Goal 14, on 'Life Below Water', remains the least funded of the 17 UN global goals. 'This must change,' he said. 'We need bold models to unlock private capital.' 'What was lost in a generation,' he concluded, 'can return in a generation. The ocean of our ancestors — teeming with life and diversity — can be more than legend. It can be our legacy.'
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Guterres Calls For An End To Ocean ‘Plunder' As UN Summit Opens In France
With the Mediterranean glittering in the background, UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres opened the Third United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday, delivering a blunt indictment of humanitys fractured relationship with the sea. ' The ocean is the ultimate shared resource,' he told delegates gathered at the port of Nice. 'But we are failing it.' Oceans, he warned, are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and buckling under the strain: overfishing, rising temperatures, plastic pollution, acidification. Coral reefs are dying. Fish stocks are collapsing. Rising seas, he said, could soon 'submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines — threatening many islands' survival.' Call for stewardship More than 50 Heads of State and Government took part in the opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — a show of political force underscoring the summit's weight. In total, over 120 countries are participating in the five-day gathering, known by the shorthand UNOC3, signaling a growing recognition that ocean health is inseparable from climate stability, food security, and global equity. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is co-hosting the summit alongside Costa Rica, followed with a forceful appeal for science, law, and multilateral resolve. 'The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale,' he declared. 'If the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling.' He insisted the fate of the seas could not be left to markets or opinion. 'The first response is therefore multilateralism,' Mr. Macron said. 'The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts.' Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles took the podium next, thanking Mr. Guterres for elevating the ocean on the global agenda, then shifting to a stark warning. 'The ocean is speaking to us — with bleached coral reefs, with storms, with wounded mangroves,' he said. 'There's no time left for rhetoric. Now is the time to act.' Condemning decades of treating the ocean as an 'infinite pantry and global waste dump,' Mr. Chaves urged a shift from exploitation to stewardship. 'Costa Rica is a small country, but this change has started,' he said. 'We are now declaring peace with the ocean.' Most notably, the Costa Rican leader called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters until science can adequately assess the risks — a position already backed by 33 countries, he noted. A treaty within reach One of the summit's core objectives is to help bring into force the landmark High Seas Treaty — known as the BBNJ accord — adopted in 2023 to safeguard life in international waters. Sixty ratifications are required for the treaty to become binding international law. Emmanuel Macron announced that this milestone is now within reach. 'In addition to the 50 or so ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, 15 countries have formally committed to joining them,' he said. 'This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this [Treaty] will be properly implemented.' Whether the legal threshold is crossed this week or shortly after, the French President added, 'it's a win.' High-stakes negotiations in the 'Blue Zone' The tone set by the opening speeches made clear that Nice will be the stage for high-stakes negotiations — on finalising a global treaty on plastic pollution, scaling up ocean finance, and navigating conflicting opinions surrounding seabed mining. Hundreds of new pledges are expected to be announced, building on more than 2,000 voluntary commitments made since the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017. The week-long talks will culminate in the adoption of a political declaration and the unveiling of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a blueprint aligned with the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a 2022 agreement to protect 30 per cent of marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030. 'The deep sea cannot become the Wild West,' António Guterres warned. The summit is being held in a purpose-built venue overlooking Port Lympia, Nice's historic marina, now transformed into the secured diplomatic 'Blue Zone.' On Sunday, a symbolic ceremony led by Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the conference, saw the French and UN flags raised above the harbor. 'This ceremony marks not only the formal transfer of this historic port into the hands of the United Nations, but also the beginning of a week of shared commitment, responsibility, and hope,' said Mr. Li. Culture, science, and collective memory Before the negotiations began in earnest, Monday's opening turned to ritual and reflection. Polynesian climate activist Ludovic Burns Tuki marked the start of the summit by blowing a pu, a traditional conch shell. 'It's a way to call everyone,' he told UN News after the ceremony. 'I blow with the support of our ancestors.' In Polynesian navigation, the conch is sounded upon arrival at a new island to signal peaceful intent. Mr. Tuki, born in Tahiti to parents from the Tuamotu and Easter Islands, sees the ocean as both boundary and bond. 'We are not only countries,' he said. 'We need to think like a collective system, because this is one ocean, one people, a future for all.' The cultural segment also included a blessing by Tahitian historian Hinano Murphy, a martial arts performance by French taekwondo master Olivier Sicard, a scientific reflection by deep-sea explorer Antje Boetius, and a poetic testimony by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, accompanied by kora musician Wassa Kouyaté. What was lost can return The goals of the Conference are ambitious but clear: to advance the ' 30 by 30 ' pledge, promote sustainable fisheries, decarbonise maritime transport, and unlock new streams of 'blue finance,' including ocean bonds and debt-for-nature swaps to support vulnerable coastal states. In addition to plenary sessions, Monday will feature two high-level action panels: one on conserving and restoring marine ecosystems — including deep-sea habitats — and another on strengthening scientific cooperation, technology exchange, and education to bridge the gap between science and policy. In his opening statement, António Guterres stressed that Sustainable Development Goal 14, on 'Life Below Water', remains the least funded of the 17 UN global goals. 'This must change,' he said. 'We need bold models to unlock private capital.' 'What was lost in a generation,' he concluded, 'can return in a generation. The ocean of our ancestors — teeming with life and diversity — can be more than legend. It can be our legacy.'
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Guterres Calls For An End To Ocean ‘Plunder' As UN Summit Opens In France
'The ocean is the ultimate shared resource,' he told delegates gathered at the port of Nice. 'But we are failing it.' Oceans, he warned, are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and buckling under the strain: overfishing, rising temperatures, plastic pollution, acidification. Coral reefs are dying. Fish stocks are collapsing. Rising seas, he said, could soon 'submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines — threatening many islands' survival.' Call for stewardship More than 50 Heads of State and Government took part in the opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — a show of political force underscoring the summit's weight. In total, over 120 countries are participating in the five-day gathering, known by the shorthand UNOC3, signaling a growing recognition that ocean health is inseparable from climate stability, food security, and global equity. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is co-hosting the summit alongside Costa Rica, followed with a forceful appeal for science, law, and multilateral resolve. 'The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale,' he declared. 'If the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling.' He insisted the fate of the seas could not be left to markets or opinion. 'The first response is therefore multilateralism,' Mr. Macron said. 'The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts.' Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles took the podium next, thanking Mr. Guterres for elevating the ocean on the global agenda, then shifting to a stark warning. 'The ocean is speaking to us — with bleached coral reefs, with storms, with wounded mangroves,' he said. 'There's no time left for rhetoric. Now is the time to act.' Condemning decades of treating the ocean as an 'infinite pantry and global waste dump,' Mr. Chaves urged a shift from exploitation to stewardship. 'Costa Rica is a small country, but this change has started,' he said. 'We are now declaring peace with the ocean.' Most notably, the Costa Rican leader called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters until science can adequately assess the risks — a position already backed by 33 countries, he noted. A treaty within reach One of the summit's core objectives is to help bring into force the landmark High Seas Treaty — known as the BBNJ accord — adopted in 2023 to safeguard life in international waters. Sixty ratifications are required for the treaty to become binding international law. Emmanuel Macron announced that this milestone is now within reach. 'In addition to the 50 or so ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, 15 countries have formally committed to joining them,' he said. 'This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this [Treaty] will be properly implemented.' Whether the legal threshold is crossed this week or shortly after, the French President added, 'it's a win.' High-stakes negotiations in the 'Blue Zone' The tone set by the opening speeches made clear that Nice will be the stage for high-stakes negotiations — on finalising a global treaty on plastic pollution, scaling up ocean finance, and navigating conflicting opinions surrounding seabed mining. Hundreds of new pledges are expected to be announced, building on more than 2,000 voluntary commitments made since the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017. The week-long talks will culminate in the adoption of a political declaration and the unveiling of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a blueprint aligned with the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a 2022 agreement to protect 30 per cent of marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030. 'The deep sea cannot become the Wild West,' António Guterres warned. The summit is being held in a purpose-built venue overlooking Port Lympia, Nice's historic marina, now transformed into the secured diplomatic 'Blue Zone.' On Sunday, a symbolic ceremony led by Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the conference, saw the French and UN flags raised above the harbor. 'This ceremony marks not only the formal transfer of this historic port into the hands of the United Nations, but also the beginning of a week of shared commitment, responsibility, and hope,' said Mr. Li. Culture, science, and collective memory Before the negotiations began in earnest, Monday's opening turned to ritual and reflection. Polynesian climate activist Ludovic Burns Tuki marked the start of the summit by blowing a pu, a traditional conch shell. 'It's a way to call everyone,' he told UN News after the ceremony. 'I blow with the support of our ancestors.' In Polynesian navigation, the conch is sounded upon arrival at a new island to signal peaceful intent. Mr. Tuki, born in Tahiti to parents from the Tuamotu and Easter Islands, sees the ocean as both boundary and bond. 'We are not only countries,' he said. 'We need to think like a collective system, because this is one ocean, one people, a future for all.' The cultural segment also included a blessing by Tahitian historian Hinano Murphy, a martial arts performance by French taekwondo master Olivier Sicard, a scientific reflection by deep-sea explorer Antje Boetius, and a poetic testimony by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, accompanied by kora musician Wassa Kouyaté. United Nations News · CLIP: Polynesian climate activist Ludovic Burns Tuki at the UN Ocean Conference What was lost can return The goals of the Conference are ambitious but clear: to advance the '30 by 30' pledge, promote sustainable fisheries, decarbonise maritime transport, and unlock new streams of 'blue finance,' including ocean bonds and debt-for-nature swaps to support vulnerable coastal states. In addition to plenary sessions, Monday will feature two high-level action panels: one on conserving and restoring marine ecosystems — including deep-sea habitats — and another on strengthening scientific cooperation, technology exchange, and education to bridge the gap between science and policy. In his opening statement, António Guterres stressed that Sustainable Development Goal 14 , on 'Life Below Water', remains the least funded of the 17 UN global goals. 'This must change,' he said. 'We need bold models to unlock private capital.' 'What was lost in a generation,' he concluded, 'can return in a generation. The ocean of our ancestors — teeming with life and diversity — can be more than legend. It can be our legacy.'
